Antibiosis
by MysteryGal5
Summary: The hardest part about being the son of Bruce Banner is inheriting the inevitable gene known as The Hulk, especially when it's the one thing that scares you the most. (Project: New Generation Prelude #8 - Short Story)
1. Remembrance

**If you're new to any of my stories or this series, then just go ahead and start reading. If you're coming from Emily, Britney, or Iqadi's stories, here is a quick note on where Daniel's novella fits on the PNG timeline:**

 **Emily ( _The Story of Emily Stark_ ) - Chapters 116-123  
** **Britney ( _The Enigma of Loki's Daughter_ ) - Chapters 150-192  
** **Iqadi ( _The Princess's Choice_ ) - her story takes place afterwards**

 **Anyways, this story will not be 300 chapters. It's just been something I thought of and had to write.**

 **And like always, I do not own Marvel.**

* * *

Chapter One: Remembrance

Do you remember being a kid? Hold on, that question is too generic and I'm trying to get a more specific idea so it'll be easier for you to be able to follow along.

Do you remember that period in your childhood when you had - or believed you had, a monster under your bed? Don't you remember being scared of your monster peeking over the edge of your bed in the middle of the night, looking and creeping right at you? When you would squeeze your eyes shut as tight as possible so you don't open them and see something alreadycstaring at you? Every sensation of a draft felt like the monster's breath on the back of your neck, making your little hairs shoot up as goosebumps form on your limbs; every creaking sound seemed like a step on your wooden floor slowly getting close toward you, and every voice you heard sounded like a starving growl ready to eat you up. You slept with the blankets over your head, cocooning yourself from the beast just below you. As if a little blanket could shield you from a pigment of your imagination.

When I was a kid, I never had a monster under my bed and I can explain why. My monster isn't imaginary and doesn't live under my bed. To this very day, it's my reality and exists underneath my skin.

The hardest part of being the son of Bruce Banner is inheriting the inevitable gene known as The Hulk; especially when it's the one thing that scares you most.

-o-

Emily Stark is the daughter of Tony Stark and as clichéd as it will sound, I am in love with her. Not the kind of love that implies that I'm only infatuated with her looks - but don't get me wrong, she's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen - it's just that I fell in love with her as a person first.

She's the only girl I know who could recite the periodic table backwards, she always speaks her mind even when some of her quotes aren't filtered, she always walks as if she owns the place in her designer shoes, and always gives off this contagious yet radiant vibe of confidence that anyone would want to have. To be honest, I didn't even know what physical beauty was until I saw those traits in her.

The only problem is that her big, hazel eyes are always wandering around to other boys. I guess that's so she can test the waters and reel in a fish she's able to snag. However, all the fish she catches eventually get thrown back in. I know for a fact that Emily has feelings for me and I'm not only saying that to boost my self-esteem or give myself a false reality but because she's told me that before.

Emily Stark can sometimes be confusing, but that doesn't stop my heart from wanting to know why.

-o-

On a snowy day, I sit next to Emily as she drives through a path in the forest in an attempt to find the main road once again. I think she's lost and that not only applies to her driving, but also to our relationship. We're friends and I love being her friend but it almost feels as if we're supposed to be something more than that.

The two of us sit in an awkward silence. Emily, for once, has nothing to say so she begins to fidget with the little items she has until she turns on the radio to fill the car up with some noise. I think something is up with her so I turn off the radio to focus on her. Emily eyes me, not wanting my attention on her which is odd since she's someone who loves being in the spotlight.

"What's wrong?" I ask her.

"Nothing," she obviously lies.

"You're lying."

"I know, I just have a lot on my mind. One of them being you."

I smile a bit. "Why me?"

"You tell me. Why do you have to be _you_?"

I hesitate, mostly because I have no idea what she's asking and therefore, no idea how to answer.

"And for once," Emily continues, with a high pitch in her voice. "The genius doesn't know the answer. I can't blame you, though. If you asked me that, I wouldn't know how to answer either. Asking someone why they are who they are is basically asking why are you, _you_? I didn't even know how to say that last sentence."

I take a breath. "My dad says that we're born with qualities or aspects of ourselves that we can handle."

"I get it," Emily says with an evident pride in her voice. "It's like I'm born with beauty because I can handle it."

"Sure..." I mutter bitterly just so she can glare at me, which she does. "He only brought that up because I asked about - "

"Stop," Emily states. Thank god she cut me off because I didn't want to finish that sentence aloud - or at all. "You don't need to finish that, Daniel. I know what you're talking about and it's okay. Think of it as a blessing."

"A _blessing_?" I almost laugh. "Emily Stark is talking about blessings?"

"Yes, yes I am. And come on, Daniel, you already know that by now it's not a bad thing. Quit shaming yourself."

God, I hate this topic.

"What do your parents think of me?" I ask only to steer away from that topic. I mentioned my dad a few seconds ago so that's the only reason why that question came out.

"Seriously?" Emily questions with a little smile on her face. "You want to go down that road? My mom thinks that you're one of the nicest teenage boys she's ever met and don't even get me started on what my dad thinks of you and me. My dad has basically arranged our marriage before we were born. He wasn't even sure if you were going to be a boy."

This kind of a conversation is way better.

"I bet he's happy I am," I reply.

"Damn right he is. And that's just the icing on the cake."

"Marriage?" I question since that part kind of stuck out to me. "Are we going to get married one day?"

Emily looks at me confused, but with a flirty smile on her face. "Are you asking?"

"What?" Oh god, I hope I'm not blushing. "Well, I - uh mean - that I don't know. It'd be improper to ask you to marry me when we technically haven't been on a date. And you're the reason why."

"Me?"

"Yeah. I've asked you out a billion times but you were always scared to because you, for some reason, were scared of breaking up when we haven't even tried going out."

Emily takes a sharp breath. "You know that when people break up, they stop caring about each other. I don't want that to happen to us."

"Do you think we'll ever stop caring for each other?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

"Why are you hesitant?"

Emily takes another sharp breath. Now she's mad. I just don't get it. We've known each other since birth and she thinks we'll just suddenly _stop_ caring about each other? Unbelievable. People just don't do that.

"I'm hesitant because - !"

Emily takes a sharp turn on an icy patch of ice causing the car to swerve and spin around.

The last thing I remember was the car slamming into a tree and flying out into the snowy ground.

* * *

 **Considering that I'm on my spring break and already have all the chapters to this written out, there will be daily updates.**

 **Emily's Counterpart - Chapter 116 (Big Transformations Part One)**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- Someone else is coming to the party...**


	2. Explode

**I know a lot of people don't get the new story notification till chapter two, so if you're new here then hi. I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

Chapter Two: Explode

The first thing parents typically tell their children is something along the lines of 'stranger danger' which is what my parents did for me, except not in the way for a random person on the street. They told me about my hulk, how it worked, and all there was to know about it.

It wasn't supposed to be a 'stranger danger' concept but that was how I interpreted it to make it easier for me to comprehend.

The first time I transformed into my hulk was when I was just below my double digits. I don't remember much from the event because I have done my absolute best to blur those memories from my brain. For the most part, it's been successful. However, it's the actual transformation process that never seems to leave my mind.

Think of my body during the transformation phase like a grenade. A strong and sturdy outer shell with a dangerous power within that can be triggered anytime and at the worst time. Once the key is removed, the power ignites and explodes into uncontrollable chaos where lives are left at risk.

-o-

I'm alive.

I wince in pain as my head stirs in the snow. I don't feel any pain in my body except for my brain that is currently pounding against my skull, screaming to get out.

No, not my brain. _It_.

Shit. Why? Why now?

"...Daniel..." Emily mutters groggily in the distance.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Oh my god, how do I stop this? Can I stop this? I can't. The - my - the hulk is its own being that lives inside of me. It does whatever it wants when provoked. I have no control over time when I wish I did!

"Hey...are you okay? Are you hurt?" Emily continues.

My breathing rate increases even though I try to get it to calm down. It's now fighting against my own body, pushing against me, trying to get me to concede. I want to just scream it out but choose to hold it inside.

I. Can't. Let. It. Explode.

But it's much too strong.

I can hear Emily struggling to crawl towards me. She's alive and I'm more than grateful for that but I only wish that she was crawling the other way. Then again, I get her mindset right now since I haven't responded so she's probably making sure that I'm not dead.

She's coming here and so is _it_. How _perfect_.

"No!" I yell back at her, keeping my head buried in the snow. That came out a bit more harsh than expected. Was that even me talking? Hopefully, the cold will numb the pain but my head is on fire so it renders the snow useless. "Stop! Just stay there!"

"What?" Emily questions. "What is it? Daniel, look at me."

The problem is, I won't be looking at her. I know my eyes have turned from brown to green which means that _it_ is now looking at her.

"I'm sorry..." I mutter, looking straight into her suddenly-widened hazel eyes with glowing green ones.

-o-

Emily's face drops. I should be glad she's alive but I'm even happier that she understands the current situation and what will become of it. I need to try and take control but I am an actual wreck waiting to happen.

I get up with ease since the hulk is overriding my pain with his energy. I need to try and take control of as much of this situation as I can so I walk over to Emily and pull her up. She takes a breath that I can see and I begin to walk away from her.

I don't want her to be near the hulk when it arrives. I don't want her to be here at all.

"What are you doing?" Emily asks me.

"Emily," I respond seriously with a plan in my mind. "Go home and get my parents. Tell them - "

"Tell them what?! That I abandoned you in the middle of nowhere when you're going to change?! I'm not leaving you here. That's ridiculous. We need a new plan."

She thinks she can take the lead and I really wish she can. Well, neither she nor I are in charge but the being attempting to break free is and it doesn't like being hidden underneath the surface.

"No," I try to say to her. "I'm telling you - "

"You're not going to tell me anything," she argues. "I'm not going back home without you."

"Shut up!"

Emily steps back. That scary part is that wasn't me talking.

This is happening way too fast.

I walk over to a tree and use it as support to keep standing. Emily doesn't move which I'm grateful for. I just want to shrivel up and cry but the hulk won't let me.

"Daniel," Emily states, slowly walking closer to me. "Look, I'm - "

"I'm sorry," I cut her off. I just need her to know that. I begin shaking and not because of the cold. "Again. It's just that I'm more scared than you are. Shocker, I know. The last time this happened to me was so long ago that I don't even remember it. Believe me, I know you're too hard-headed to leave but I don't want to kill you."

Those words felt like poison dripping down my tongue and that was me talking.

"Kill?" Emily repeats almost as if she's confused. "Kill me? Why would you ever kill me?"

"Because I can't control it!"

"What? But your dad - "

"That's my dad. This is me. It's different. I can't stop it and I'm afraid for you. Please do me a favor and call - "

"Yeah, yeah." Emily pulls out her cell phone. "SHIELD is number six on speed dial."

Emily turns around and begins calling SHIELD. That's probably a bad idea, but I have my mind in other places to be focusing on that. I just want my parents. I just want this all to not happen.

I want it to be over.

I can feel the hulk just on the tip of the surface and I can't hold it in much longer. I want to but even if I try my absolute hardest, I can't. I don't want Emily -

"Go ahead," Emily says calmingly, almost making the pressure on my shoulders weightless. "Stop holding it in and making it harder for yourself."

"Thank you," I reply.

That was the most relieved I've felt all day. I take off my jacket and glasses and hand them to her. I can't see anything so I try my best to find her forehead and lightly kiss it. I can hear her trying to hide tears and I do my best to ignore it because of what's about to happen.

-o-

And the grenade explodes...

* * *

 **Emily's Counterpart - Chapter 117 (Big Transformations Part Two)**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- it's here...**


	3. Duel

**Quick note: _italics_ are what the hulk is thinking and normal text is Daniel thinking.**

* * *

Chapter Three: Duel

You're probably all wondering the same thing: what _exactly_ happens when I transform into the hulk.

The thing about my transformations is that I have a pretty good control of not _accidentally_ transforming, unlike my dad. If my heart rate goes a little too fast, that probably doesn't cause my eyes to turn green (but I don't take that risk since that's a theory I haven't run trials on). Also, I seldom get angry so that's a bonus. I was one of those kids who never had temper tantrums which benefited everyone if you ask me. I haven't quite figured out why my hulk comes when it rarely does, but it probably has - never mind, I don't know where I'm going with this hypothesis.

Anyways, the physical transformation is pretty obvious - it's a normal sized boy to a giant green monster. That may seem a lot but it really isn't. The only drastic change for me is the mental transformation. When the hulk does take over, it's like it has a mind of its own. It acts as the motherboard of the body that my own mind is trying to take control of again.

God, it's so terrifying. The only thing my mind is truly good at is forgetting it all afterwards.

-o-

"You see?" Emily whispers, now looking up at the hulk who towers over her. "I'm still here. I'll always be here. No matter how scary you think it'll be, the one place I'll never be leaving is your side."

My breaths are slow as I look down at her. I try my best not to move a single inch and my body obeys that command. If I wasn't in my hulk form right now, I would be screaming. As for my mind, not so much... Just because my body is calm doesn't mean my mind is. The voices just started talking to me.

 _She's a pretty girl, isn't she?_ Oh, I'm sorry, were you actually talking to me? _Are you giving me attitude?_ No, no, not at all. Just continue with whatever the hell you were doing.

My mind is silent for a moment which was so relaxing until the hulk ruined it. Maybe, this won't be so bad.

 _Who do you think is more scared? Her or you?_ Who do you think? _Wow, you like answering questions with more questions. Especially when the answer is yourself._

Nevermind what I said earlier. I'm terrified.

The longer I look at Emily from this point of view, the more I notice how much she's cried and I can't tell if it's from fear or sadness. I see a tear that has frozen on her cheek. I touch it and a small smile appears on her face which makes me feel good about myself.

 _I'm shocked she hasn't run away yet._ This is the first, and hopefully the last time that we're agreeing on something. I wish she would run off. _You're very pessimistic._ Can you blame me?

Then there's a noise in the distance and my head instantly whips around.

It's SHIELD and they brought their weapons.

Crap, I forgot that I made Emily call them. He isn't going to like that one bit and it's not like we can apologize/forgive one another.

 _What have you done?_

-o-

Emily's eyes keep changing from me to SHIELD. It's almost as if she's choosing which way to go. Sometimes, she's indecisive, especially in moments when she really shouldn't be. Her human instinct tells her to go to safety but her heart keeps her planted right here.

 _Oh, look who you invited to the party._ Doesn't a party imply that we're having fun? _Again with the questions as responses. You should start answering some instead of asking._

Remember when I said I was terrified? If such a word exists with a stronger connotation and the same meaning - which I'm positive there is but can't think of at the moment since my mind is currently busy with much more important things - then that's what I am feeling right now.

"Miss. Stark," a SHIELD agent calls to her, "Come closer to us."

"No," Emily responds firmly, "I'm not leaving him."

"Miss - "

"Don't you fucking _'Miss. Stark'_ me! I've made myself clear!"

 _Wow, she's a fighter with quite a mouth. You should admire her._ I already do. _She's handling this way better than you are._ I know.

SHIELD starts dragging Emily away against her will and she resists them to the best of her ability. She tries to get them off her and yells but it's no use. I just want her to stop and allow them to take her away from me. She will be better with them.

 _I'm going to get her._ Please don't. I am begging you and I have never begged to you or anyone before. Please, oh please, don't do anything. _The girl you love is being taken away from you and all you're doing is praying to someone who won't answer for a miracle? No wonder you're still single._

I try to say something but I actually do not have a response for that.

The hulk roars and pounces forward. My mind is jumbling now and I don't know what to do. Everything after that is just a constant whirlwind of snow, gunfire, and Emily screaming. I think Emily somehow breaks free and is running towards me. Internally, I'm screaming the loudest I've ever screamed in my life...but no one can hear the little boy who's trapped inside.

It's also times like this when I pray for a miracle even though I know that nobody is going to hear my prayers over all this exterior noise - just like the hulk said. God, I hate when he's right.

I close my eyes, waiting with the slim hope that still exists for something miraculous to happen in my favor, but the hulk and I end up blacking out - at least, that's what I hope.

* * *

 **Emily's Counterpart - Chapter 117 (Big Transformations Part Two)**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- What happens next for Daniel Banner?**


	4. Bleed

**Trigger Warning: if you're kind of sensitive to what you read, then be aware of what's coming up.**

* * *

Chapter Four: Bleed

 _"Daniel...Surrender. Prove to them that you're not their target. Show them that you're not the monster they fear you to be. Okay? I'll see you soon, I promise..."_

That's Emily's voice. I can hear that specific quote ringing in my mind like a fire alarm but I don't remember when or if she said that to me. Maybe I simply dreamt it to comfort myself. Or maybe I'm in some SHIELD rehab where they drugged me up with some of the most potent medicines they have and I'm just imagining things. There's also the scary possibility that I'm actually dead and an angel told me that.

-o-

I wake up in tranquility.

My vision is all blurry and I reach beside me to find a pair of my glasses. I immediately look around to see myself in a room of white with a bed that I'm currently lying in, a bedside table with a lonely glass half-filled with water, and a door all the way across the room. Even my bedsheets and my outfit were white. Comfort and relaxation are done through the basic and simplicity of most things, many believe, maybe that's why SHIELD put me in here - ease away the trauma. Or I'm in the afterlife because everything is white and calming there, right?

"Are you ready?"

That familiar, soothing voice makes me freeze. I grip tightly on the bed sheets and look to see a girl standing in the doorway wearing her dark purple winter coat. Her hair has been been hit harshly with the wind and her cheeks are slightly red from the harsh cold of the winter.

It's Emily.

But _how_?

There she is, simply standing right there with her perfectly manicured hand wrapped around the doorknob. She looks at me, and something in my eyes makes me look back naturally, almost instinctively. It's her brown hair that falls just below her shoulders, warm, nearly autumn-like features, especially those earthy brown eyes, and the wonder in the curve of her smile.

No, wait, I've made a mistake. Brown is just a simple word to describe her eyes. Emily has earthy hazel eyes: hazel is how you describe the color of someone's brown eyes when you're in love. Hazel is the dreamy kind of brown I could get lost in forever, especially coming from her.

Emily raises her eyebrows and I look away. How can she see me like this?

"What?" Emily asks with a small giggle in her voice. "What is it? What's the matter?"

It's nothing but for some reason, I don't say that out loud. My silence is an answer she doesn't seem to understand. I take a deep breath and only glance at her again. Emily begins stepping towards me, slowly and takes my hands into hers. Just like the autumn, her hands are warm, contrasting to my cold ones which is weird. If she looks as if she's been outside for a while, then why are her hands so warm? The opposite goes for me since I've probably been in here for a while. Why are my hands cold when I've been lying here for a while...

"C'mon..." Emily mutters in an encouraging tone. "Let's go..."

Emily tries to pull me up but I can't move. Something is keeping me here and Emily tries to pull against it. She laughs a little at the amount of effort she has to put for someone as small as myself, but her laugh suddenly breaks into a scream and then returns into a laugh as if the scream never happened. The same goes for her smile turning into tears and then back into a smile again. Her emotion changed like a channel on the television, quick and unwanted - almost static-like. Everything was happening in a literal blink of an eye.

Oh no.

It makes sense now.

This isn't real. Reality is just bleeding through and I'm trying to stop it from doing so by using her.

No, no, no, please be real.

I don't want to face whatever reality will be.

-o-

I wake up to pain.

Blistering pain is everywhere in my body from my head, my chest, my arms, my legs, my insides - it feels as if I'm on fire. I open my eyes and only see fuzz and blurs. I stretch my arms out, ignoring the pain in my limbs for the moment. I frantically move my arms, knocking some nearby items over in an attempt to find my glasses but nothing.

Everything hurts and I just want to be able to see.

But do I really want to see? Do I really want to see everything post-hulk? All there really is to me right now is a boy who's in so much emotional and physical pain that he's going through an impacting meltdown.

I'd question my current location but I don't care about that right now.

I put my hands over my ears. There is no noise in the room because it's all in my head. As if covering my ears can make it all go away. I bite down on my arm and curl up into a ball to prevent myself from screaming my lungs out or worse, let the hulk out again. Hot tears escape my eyes as flashes of the - my - no, the hulk's memory replay on a constant loop in my head. I close my eyes tightly, trying to erase the memories, and suddenly taste blood from my arm.

That causes my body to stop panicking for a moment. I let go and take slow breaths to calm myself down. I wipe my eyes harshly even though there's still a burning sensation in them. I raise my head a little and look at the spot where I bit my arm. Though I can't see, I can make out the red streaks on my forearm. I use my fingers to lightly dab on the spots, looking at the red smudges on my blurry fingertips.

I wipe my blood on the white pillowcase, bed sheets, and pajamas I'm wearing. I doubt anyone will ask questions - granted that someone will show up.

Now, I think I'm relaxed from that sudden breakdown. I lie down on my arm, my new injury (which I seriously hope won't scar) sticking out just underneath my head. I simply decide to just go to sleep since there's nothing else to do except inflicting pain on myself.

I tasted my own blood and strangely, it was the taste that tilted my head. I didn't know that rage had a taste and it tasted like your own blood.

* * *

 **Wow. That chapter was a lot. I'm actually really proud of it.**

 ** _Stay Tuned_ \- He's going to be here for quite a while...**


	5. Pawn

**Note: Daniel's mom and Bruce's wife in this story is Betty Ross.**

* * *

Chapter Five: Pawn

"He's woken up a few times although they were short episodes," someone unfamiliar says. I know she's not talking to me because I'm half-asleep and she's talking _about_ me. "However, he would usually wake up in shock and try to figure out what's going on before knocking himself back out again. It's a normal cycle."

That seems about right.

"No," a familiar male voice says, "I'm asking you, how _is_ he?"

Never in my life have I been so relieved to hear my dad's voice.

"Traumatized is the best word I would use," the first voice responds with a heavy breath.

My dad doesn't respond after that. I can't blame him. If I were in his shoes, I certainly wouldn't know what to say.

I decide to wake up and my vision is all blurry. I stretch my arm forward at what I believe to be a bedside table and feel around for my glasses. Then I remember that I gave my glasses to Emily before the transformation.

 _Emily._

Oh my god, where is she? Is she okay? What happened to her? Minus my hallucination with her, I last saw SHIELD dragging her away. Her screams and tears replay in my mind as it all comes back to me again.

I suddenly feel my body tense up as I grip the bed sheets up to my face. I want to scream out to someone - _someone who won't hear you_ \- no! Stop!

"Daniel!" I hear another familiar person yell.

Whoever that is, I feel them grab my shoulders and hold me in place. I look up at the blur and feel what I believe to be hair, brushing against my cheeks. Then I can see. My eyes adjust to the glasses the person put on me. I look up and try to force myself to sit up in the bed, just to get a better look of the room I'm in. Sure, it hurts but I don't really care about pain at this point.

I'm in a bed, wearing all white, next to the bedside table I predicted was there. I see some machines monitoring my heart rate and such, a door for people to come in and out of, and I wouldn't be surprised if that suspicious blank space on the wall next to the door was one-way glass where people can see me but I can't see them.

"Hi, baby," that same voice says. The second time I hear it, I hear the serenity that it comes with.

I turn to my side and see my mother standing beside me. She looks stressed, sleep-deprived as if she's been crying for hours. Her dark hair is slightly out-of-place and her mouth is slightly opened as she looks at me. She tilts her head a little as if she's waiting for me to respond but I have nothing to say. Like the situation my father is in, what is there for me to say? She looks at me with eyes full of the motherly love she's always had and I can only return her eyes that feel dead and expressionless.

"We're at a SHIELD recovery unit," she tells me softly. "We've been here for three days. This being the third day."

I still say nothing. Has it really been three days already? There has been no day or night for me anymore, just the sterile glow of fluorescent lights that never seem to go out all combined with an erratic sleep schedule.

"You're going to be okay," she says, tears slowly forming in her eyes as she approaches me. No mother likes seeing her baby like this. "Daniel, everything will be okay."

Mom puts her hands on my cheeks and looks into my eyes. One of her thumbs rubs my cheek and as a tear rolls down her own cheek, I find myself starting to cry. She pulls me close and wraps her arms around me, kissing the top of my head.

-o-

My mom sits beside my bed on a chair she brought in. We use the bedside table as a table for us to play chess on. We've been at the game for about thirty minutes and our pieces are scattered all around.

What stands out is that all the pawns are gone which is really no surprise. The pawns are always the first to go since they are easily overpowered by the other pieces. Sometimes I relate to the pawns.

Mom scratches her head as she mutters to herself possible strategies she could do with my possible response in consideration (which she would be correct on). She sits back in her chair before deciding to move her rook to the side. I'm not really paying attention to my moves so I just play around with my bishop.

"Mom, what happened afterwards?" I ask her as she takes my bishop with her queen.

Mom takes a breath. "Your father and I showed up with Emily's parents. SHIELD was explaining everything when we walked in but I blocked out whatever they were saying. I only cared what Emily had to say. She's fine now but when I saw her sitting there, she looked empty. I asked her what happened and that's when she said that SHIELD fired at you. They disobeyed their strict order from Director Fury that was not to open fire. I was angry, so, _so_ angry. They fired at my little boy."

I move my knight and see that my mom is holding back. I sit back and see soft tears in her tired eyes.

"Are _you_ okay?" I ask her.

My mom looks at me with love in her eyes, surprised about how her boy in a hospital bed is the one asking her if she's alright. She moves her king.

"This time was more alarming than before but your father and I are fine, especially since you're alive," she replies.

My mom has left her king wide open for me to take with either my knight or rook. On purpose. I know she's being nice and wants me to win but I pretend to ignore it and move my knight the other way. My mother meets my eyes and narrows them playfully, knowing damn well that I avoided checkmate.

"Your move," I tell her.

* * *

 **Just thought that it would be good to mention that I don't know how to play chess. I tried looking it up and understanding it but nothing came through.**

 _ **Stay Tuned**_ **\- better shuffle the deck**


	6. Wildcard

**Wow. It's chapter six already...I could've sworn this story just started.**

 ** _Note_ \- Text in _italics_ that are immediately followed by normal text and then repeated are a mental conversation between Daniel and his hulk, just loke a few chapters back. _Italics_ being the hulk and normal being Daniel.**

* * *

Chapter Six: Wildcard

 _Five Months Ago_

I've has many influences in my life, people who have really changed it. Shockingly, one of them was the unexpected enigma that is Britney Braun.

Now here's the thing about Britney Braun: she showed up in the eighth grade and was the popular new girl and eventual high school cheerleader. Then she disappeared for a bit and people were naive enough to think the worst happened to her. I'd hate to say this but even I thought the worst for a bit.

Until one day when I knocked on my friend Apollo's door and Britney answered it.

We were both surprised to see each other.

Long story short, she found out that she was both Apollo's long-lost cousin and the daughter of Loki. It scared her so she hid. She wanted to ask me how I was able to live with my hulk since she was feeling the same way about her secret. I tensed up and almost cried which only caused her to apologize.

"I can't," I admitted to her. "I can't live with it. It scares me. Can I ask you something personal?" Daniel asks. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to." She nods. "Are you afraid of me?"

"I should be the one asking you that," she whispered.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm more scared of myself than you."

"As am I."

That part really didn't help either of us but it was nice to finally meet someone who I can have this kind of conversation with. Britney didn't know how to handle all that would come with being Loki's daughter just as I was the son of Bruce Banner. In that way, we both had responsibilities or _"blessings"_ that came to us through parentage. The one problem was that we both didn't want them.

"The real world isn't all that bad even if you can't look at it the same anymore," I told her.

"I can't even look at _myself_ the same anymore," she responded. "How did you do it?"

"It's just something you learn along the way."

-o-

 _Five Months Ago - Two Weeks After_

All of my friends and I sit around a circular table. We all have cards in our hands and some rest on the table. Our eyes leave the cards and look at each other, examining one another to see if anyone's cards are weak or if anyone is cheating. Eyes tell everything, even when they don't try. Iqadi puts her cards down and folds her hands on top of the table.

"My father has trained me on scoping out the enemy merely by looking at their weaknesses," she starts. "From what I have observed, all of you have something on your mind and even though we already know what that something is, we need to discuss it."

All of us just throw our cards on the table and sit back in our seats.

"Should we take the wildcards out of the desk?" Apollo asks. "There are two of them and maybe - "

"Not that topic," Iqadi forces. "You all know what I mean."

Nobody says anything. Iqadi furrows her eyebrows at us.

"As weird as this is to say," Apollo starts, "Britney is my cousin."

Nobody says anything again.

"I guess that means she's bound to our social group in more ways than one," James laughs nervously.

"So what if she has this new identity," Angela adds. "Come to think of it, it isn't really new since she was born with it. It's only _new_ to her and our own understanding. It just makes her much more interesting."

" _Much_ more interesting..." Xavier echoes. I'd say that's because they're twins and more or less have the same thoughts but his heart overpowers his mind at times, especially when it comes to Britney.

"Keep your dick in your pants when we're talking about this!" Merida yells at him.

Xavier stares at her, mortified. The rest of us have nothing to add to this. Merida snickers to herself.

To be honest, nobody wants to talk about the fact that Loki's daughter rests among us because that idea is too extreme for us to comprehend. At least, it was at first. Now, we're just trying to make sense of it. I'm not trying to be selfish right now but I bet my friends had a conversation like this when I first turned into my hulk. We were children at the time and they were trying to see how it would change everything.

Luckily, it didn't.

"So..." Emily says, changing the topic as she slides her cards back into her hands. "Now that we have spoken about that strenuous topic _again_ , how about those wildcards? Are they in or out?"

There was no debate. They stayed in.

-o-

 _Present Day_

I sit in my bed as my dad paces by the door, running a hand through his hair as he looks at papers on a clipboard. I guess that they're my medical reports but I'm feeling fine now so I don't really understand what he's looking at.

It just hit me now that my dad wasn't born with his hulk like me. It didn't come to him through genetics but through an experiment gone wrong. Does that mean his hulk works differently than mine? I never wanted to have that kind of conversation since it trekked on a topic I wanted no part in, but I see my dad stressing over whatever the hell he's reading so I need to start talking.

"I never asked you this because I never wanted to," I start, "but did your hulk ever talk to you?"

My dad looks up at me, letting all the papers fall from his hands to the clipboard. He shifts his glasses from his eyes to his head.

"Not in a verbal conversation like this," I continue, "since that would be impossible. I mean in a mental way. Like a conscious, almost."

Dad smirks a little from the corner of his mouth. "All the time."

"What does he say?"

Dad takes a breath. "He has a different mindset. He usually resorts to violence and smashing which could be useful, especially as an Avenger on the battlefield. The hulk himself is a wildcard. Sure, he comes out from rage and anger but if you're lucky, you'd get him when he agrees with you. Mostly, our conversations are disagreements but every once in a while, we're on the same page. It's all a game of chance."

"How do you just _get_ him to agree with you?"

"It's like I've always told you; it's just something you learn along the way."

-o-

I'm now alone in my room, staring up at the florescent lights without my glasses on so all I see are blurs. To be fair, even if I was wearing my glasses, my vision of the lights would more or less be the same. Everyone thinks I'm asleep right now - well, I _should_ be asleep. I don't even know the time so for all I know, it could be the morning or the middle of the day. Hell, I can technically sleep whenever I want.

 _"I can't even look at myself the same anymore. How did you do it?"_

 _"It's just something you learn along the way."_

How convenient for that exact conversation with Britney to come back into my head at this exact time.

 _Wow, you're a hypocrite._ Shut up, I know. _Your dad tells you to get used to it and then you_ _tell the girl to get used to it while you just sit here and let me take over your mind._ Shut up. _You do know that you can't get rid of me. You won't admit it now but you need me._ Shut up! _You should take your own advice._

I roll my eyes to myself. I won't ever admit this but maybe my hulk is right. To think that I told Britney that it's a part of everyday life yet I just have it eat me alive. I am such a hypocrite.

I should take my own advice. I really should. Who knew I was so smart?

A deck of cards typically has two wildcards. If my social group was a deck of cards then the wildcards would be Britney and myself.

There is no need to reshuffle the deck.

I'm getting out of here. I'm ready to go home.

 _Finally, I was waiting to leave._ You and me both. _Those lights were starting to make me nauseous._

I didn't expect to laugh but I did, just a little. I haven't laughed in a while so that felt nice.

It's quite refreshing to laugh, even just a little, after all that crying and screaming.

* * *

 **Britney's Counterpart - Chapter 119 (Green Connections)**

 _ **Stay Tuned**_ **\- A special welcome home :)**


	7. Warmth

**Oh my god...I am literally an emotional wreck right now for about five reasons. The sad part about that is four out of those five reasons have to do with fictional things.**

 **One of those reasons is also that this is the last chapter of Daniel's novella and it's quite the fluffy one :)**

* * *

Chapter Seven: Warmth

As I got dressed in my normal clothes to leave, I never asked how long I was here for. Any answer that would be from three days to three weeks would frighten me. As I walk through the hospital wing, I wave goodbye to some of the doctors and nurses and all they do is smile and wish me the best. How touching.

I meet my mom at the elevator and we ride down together. Once we reach the ground floor, I'm face-to-face with Director Fury. He stares me down and I know that he means no harm (towards me, at least), but this man is just naturally intimidating. Every time I see him, he never seems to change his strict expression. My mom starts talking to him and I must stand there awkwardly, looking at my shoes. This must be how little children feel in the supermarket when their parents run into an old friend: restless and wanting to leave.

"How are you?" Director Fury asks.

It takes me a few seconds to actually process that he's talking to me.

"Oh..." I mutter awkwardly. "I'm fine."

"That's good."

He gives me a nod and then my mom and I leave SHIELD. When I step outside and place my feet in the snow, I can feel the chill enter my body as I wrap my arms around myself. My mom looks over and almost panics.

"Oh no, Daniel..." My mom says. "I forgot to get you a jacket. Here, take mine."

"Mom," I stop her right when she starts unzipping her jacket, "it's okay. I like the cold breeze since my hospital room felt like a sauna. This is refreshing."

My mom hesitates on my statement but I nod my head, reassuring my point. She keeps her eyes on me as she zips her jacket back up. She eyes me for a bit longer before turning around and walking ahead of me to get to the car.

That wasn't exactly a lie. Sure, it's cold but I can tolerate it with just a sweater. It's just that my mom has already done so much for me during this time and my whole life. I can manage myself. Also, her coat is way too feminine for my preference and I don't need Director Fury seeing me wear it.

-o-

Once we're back home, Mom gets out of the car and I just sit there for a moment longer. She peeks inside and when my eyes meet hers, she gives me a small smile. It was probably the happiest I've seen her in a while which makes my insides warm in the cold snow.

"C'mon," Mom encourages, "they're inside. Are you sure you're ready?"

"Mom..." I reply, getting out of the car. "I'm positive."

The cold breeze makes my eyes open wide once it hits me. I wrap my arms around myself as I walk up to the front door behind my mom. As she looks for her keys in her purse, I realize that she said 'they're' inside. Why plural? Isn't it just my dad? Once I'm back in the comfort of my own home, I see my dad who hugs me and then my eyes see Emily and her parents.

My eyes never leave Emily. I haven't seen her in what's felt like years.

She stands up and looks at me with her beautiful hazel eyes. No, 'look' isn't the right word to describe the intensity her eyes are giving me. Try, gaze or even stare. The longer she stares at me, I see the redness rimming her eyes in a dark shade that almost matches her lipstick. Her hands grip the ends of her sweater sleeves which she brings up to her chest, joining her hands.

"Hi..." She says softly, biting her bottom lip.

"Hi..." I reply the same way, still staring right at her.

Emily stares at me for a bit longer, probably trying to process what she's seeing compared to how she last saw me. She suddenly smiles brightly and I open my arms, allowing her to jump in. Once I'm embracing her, she begins crying tears of what I believe to be joy into my shoulder. I hold her head close to mine and can feel her heart racing spastically against mine. I hold her in a way that allows me to look into her now-happy eyes.

"Emily," I say, "can I ask you something?"

"Yeah," she replies, "sure, go ahead."

Emily places her warm hands on my cheeks. I didn't know my face was so cold until it started tingling. Same goes for my hands when I put them on top of her warm ones.

"I froze on the way back here," I tell her. "Can I have my jacket back?"

Emily laughs loudly, almost as if she was surprised have that reaction. Something about her laugh this time tells me that she hasn't laughed in a while. More tears fall out of her eyes, unintentionally, but of joy.

Then she kisses me. _Emily Stark is kissing me._ And our parents are right in the room. That should make it weird but I'm so warm right now that I'm not thinking much about that.

What matters is that Emily is kissing me and it's not one of those insignificant kisses that we've had in the past. Those kisses were juvenile and this one is different. This isn't puppy-love or a high school flame. Call me young and inexperienced but this is how I would define the word love. Emily is the only person who can warm me up in a way that no jacket could. I'm happy that she finally realized that. When we part, her hazel eyes glow with passion and joy.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you," she tells me.

"Actually, I do," I reply. _Because I felt the same way._

-o-

"Dude," Merida states. I can tell she wants to yell at me but her loud curls do what her mouth cannot. "You scared the living shit out of me and that's saying something since I don't scare easily - or at all."

Some welcome.

"I missed you too, Merida," I reply flatly.

"No, you didn't."

I roll my eyes. That girl can never take a compliment, can she? Merida is just, well, Merida. James is content and that's all I would ever want to analyze about that boy. Xavier seems tense and Angela still looks worried. If only they were like Merida right now. Or better yet, like Apollo and Britney who are in Asgard or Iqadi in Wakanda.

"I'll have you know that I'm happy to see you," James says.

"Who says that we aren't?" Angela asks on behalf of herself and her twin.

"Your faces," Merida bluntly tells them.

Angela and Xavier quickly look at each other. They both change their faces into comforting smiles just for me.

"C'mon," Xavier encourages, "you were gone for a while so let's have some fun."

-o-

In stories, heroes have been written with the monomyth cycle. That means that every typical hero in literature goes through the same series of events before saving the day. There's the call to adventure, the trials, the antagonist, the love interest, and the final resolution. In these stories, writers justify their falling heroes. The trouble is, I have had no glory - or at least what I've seen so far. Instead, I have just been through what most have considered as anti-glory: fear, rage, and disappointment; all in myself. All the good things of my monomyth cycle came eventually. Some, I would like to believe are still on their way.

It's just like what everyone, including myself, has been telling me all along: it's just something I'll eventually get used to.

Then again, maybe the reason why I never needed a writer to back up my actions is because I am my own writer.

* * *

 **Daniel, dear, please...I am your writer.**

 **Emily's Counterpart - Chapter 123 (Longest Wait of My Life)**

 **This story was actually hard to write and title mostly because I didn't know how to approach it. I didn't think it was going to happen but look: it's here and it's finished. Daniel is a precious character and I'm glad I wrote this (even though I mostly wrote this for myself). Thank you all for reading this! If you want to read more Daniel or any of the other kids, then check out the other stories in the _Project: New Generation_ series!**

 **~ MysteryGal5**


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